<p>plmdin, thanks. I have no idea what the “common data set” is, or where to find it. I will look. Meanwhile, while I recognize that college costs a fortune and there is real debate about the value of a traditional liberal arts education (although I am in the pro LA camp), my question was less concerned with financial aid than with the prevalence of merit scholarship offers. I am troubled by some aspects of merit scholarships. I believe some schools waste funds in order attract students with higher board scores, and thereby boost rankings. I object for other reasons, but am not looking to start a pointless debate. I do care, however, about what the “real” tuition is at various colleges. I define “real” tuition, as a vague combination of amounts that the average and median students pay. </p>
<p>I also wanted to see whether the offer of $15,000-$20,000/yr is rare, or common for students not seeking financial aid.</p>